Loudspeaker tilting adapter

ABSTRACT

A speaker tilting adapter comprising a speaker supporting plate; a base plate; a connector mechanism for pivotably interconnecting between the support plate and change base plate; and a position fixing mechanism for fixing the tilt position of the speaker adapter. The adapter allows tilting with minimal change in the center of gravity of a speaker disposed thereon, relative to the base plate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an equipment accessory, more particularly, an adjustable support or adapter to effect tilting of a loudspeaker or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically, full-range speakers are used for distributing amplified voices and/or other audible sounds such as music. Preferably, the sounds which come out of the speakers are uniformly distributed within a defined area, reaching the audience evenly. Specifically, the portion of the audience in close proximity of the speakers should not suffer excessive audio signal, which may be uncomfortable or even damaging. Positioning and orientation of the loudspeakers is determined in view of the acoustic parameters of the location, speaker properties, distribution of audience, etc. Raising and lowering of concert loudspeakers is typically achieved by adjusting a speaker support pole of a tripod.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to an accessory or adapter for adjusting the position or angle of equipment, particularly suited for audio equipment such as loudspeakers. The adapter is designed to substantially maintain the center of gravity of the loudspeaker above a base of the adapter above a loudspeaker support pole or tripod while tilting the speaker.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a speaker adapter (support/tilter) for facilitating tilting of a loudspeaker. The speaker adapter comprises: a speaker supporting plate having a speaker receiving or attachment mechanism; a base plate, parallel to the speaker supporting plate; a connector mechanism for interconnecting between the speaker support plate and the base plate, the connector mechanism comprising a pair of connectors each comprising at least one connector plate; a position fixing mechanism for setting the tilt position of the speaker adapter; and pivotable fasteners for pivotably attaching a lower portion of each connector plate to the base plate and for pivotably attaching an upper portion of each connector plate to the speaker supporting plate, wherein: (a) the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the lower portion of each connector plate to the base plate is different than the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the upper portion of each plate to the speaker supporting plate; and (b) the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the lower portion of each connector plate to the base plate is different than the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the upper portion of each plate to the speaker supporting plate.

According to some embodiments, the connector mechanism for interconnecting between the speaker support plate and the base plate comprises first connector plate and a second connector plate; whereas in other embodiments, the connector mechanism comprises a first pair of connector plates and a second pair of connector plates.

According to other embodiments, the speaker support plate comprises a stem corresponding to a so called “top hat” or recess in the bottom of the speaker to facilitate holding the speaker, while in other embodiments, the speaker engages with the support plate.

According to further embodiments, the position fixing mechanism comprises a tightenable and loosenable position fixing bolt disposed through arcuate slots, curved in a likewise and corresponding configuration, in the connector plates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a speaker adapter in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are isometric front views of the speaker adapter of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3A and 3B are front views of the speaker adapter of FIG. 1, assembled with a speaker and a speaker stand pole.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a speaker adapter 10 including a speaker support plate 12 and a base plate 14. Plates 12 and 14 are interconnected by a relatively tall connecting member 16 and a relatively short connecting member 18; however, the difference in length between the connecting members can be, and typically is, fairly small. Each connecting member 16 and 18 includes two parallel triangular connector plates 20 and 22, each generally having the shape of a scalene triangle, in the present embodiment, and interconnected by a rectangular interconnect member 24. However, connector plates 20 and 22 and interconnect member 24 can be configured in a variety of alternate shapes.

In the upper and lower corners of each parallel triangular connector plate 20 and 22, typically adjacent the long leg of those triangular connector plates, are holes 26 for corresponding fasteners, such as parallel lower pivotable bolt screws 28 a and 28 b and parallel upper pivotable bolt screws 28 c and 28 d to attach speaker support plate 12 to base plate 14. Pivotable bolt screws 28 a, 2 b, 28 c, and 28 d allow connector plates 20 and 22 to pivot about those bolt screws. The distance between lower pivotable bolt screws 28 a and 28 b is greater than the distance between upper pivotable bolt screws 28 c and 28 d (in conjunction with the height difference of connector plates 20 and 22) to produce tilting.

To fix the position of speaker adapter 10 after adjusting the speaker adapter to a desired speaker angle (discussed below), the speaker adapter comprises a position fixing mechanism. A non-limiting, exemplary, position fixing mechanism comprises arcuate slots 30, typically, approximately in the middle of each connector plate 20 and 22. Passing through slots 30 is a position fixing bolt 32 with threads (not shown) at one end and a screw knob 33 with corresponding threads at the same end of the bolt. According to some embodiments, the position fixing mechanism includes a bolt sleeve 34 connected to a speaker stand attachment stem 35 or to speaker support plate 12 wherein position fixing bolt 32 is disposed. Bolt sleeve 34 is connected (e.g. welded) to stand attachment stem 35 and sandwiched between connector plates 20 and 22. As a result, when position fixing bolt 32 is tightened, there is no relative movement between the movable speaker tilter adapter components and the whole structure of the adapter is stiffened and is locked together.

Speaker support plate 12 has a speaker receiving or attachment mechanism. The speaker receiving mechanism, can be constituted by a variety of arrangements, for example, a speaker engaging stem 36 corresponding to a recess 37 (or so-called “top hat”; FIGS. 3A and 3B) in the underside of conventional concert or small public address speakers 44 (illustrated in dashed lines). In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the speaker receiving mechanism can be constituted by variety of mechanisms, for example a strap or skid-resistant surface, such as a relatively low profile skid resistant foot 38, to help prevent movement, typically rotation, of speaker 44. However, the speaker receiving mechanism need not include a stem or skid surface, rather it may merely be the top surface of plate 12 itself. For attaching the speaker adapter 10 to a tripod or speaker stand 39 base plate 14 typically includes a speaker stand attachment stem 35 having a locking screw (not visible) that can be tightened and loosened via a knob 42.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B show speaker adapter 10 assembled in two exemplary positions, a position where the speaker would rest on the support in a generally horizontal position and were the speaker would be tilted downward, respectively (or upward depending on the direction in which the speaker is placed on the adapter). As can be seen, connector plates 20 and 22 overlap whereby bolt 32 passes through both sets of slots 30. In order to adjust speaker adapter 10 to a particular position, such as those shown, knob 33 is loosened and re-tightened.

It is a particular feature of the present invention that speaker adapter 10 can be conveniently used to tilt speaker 44 while substantially preserving the center of gravity, designated 47, of the speaker above base plate 14 (and generally the center of speaker stand attachment stem 35). To adjust speaker adapter 10 so that speaker 44 tilts to direct sound at a slightly downward angle (FIG. 3B), after knob 33 is loosened a bit, speaker support plate 12 is translated rearwardly relative to base plate 14; i.e. in a direction opposite to the downward tilt of the speaker to be effected. During this process, bolt 32 slides within slot 30 as indicated by arrow 46 (FIG. 2B). Knob 33 is then tightened to fix speaker adapter 10 in position. Due to the configuration of speaker adapter 10, speaker 44 is also moved backward when the speaker is tilted downward, thereby maintaining, or at least substantially maintaining, the center of gravity 47 over base plate 14 (and tripod or speaker stand 39, if present). If the desired tilt were upward, speaker 44 would be positioned so that it faces the opposite direction (and then speaker adapter 10 would be turned around so that the speaker faces the audience).

The substantial maintenance of the center of gravity of speaker 44 above base plate 14 and particularly above the center of the base plate tends to reduce the chance of the speaker, and associated support stand, from tipping over and potentially being damaged and even causing harm to equipment and/or people in the vicinity. This situation is a particular issue of the center of gravity is outside the range of the stand pole and/or the speaker tilter.

Typically, the speaker adapter is designed to allow tilting between horizontal and twelve degrees downwardly (or upwardly), which would result in typical speakers, such as conventional concert or small public address speakers 44 having their center of gravity (COG) fall within the range of the diameter of speaker stand attachment stem 35. In such situation, tilting of speaker 44 would tend to be relatively stable; remain “balanced”. However, the amount of tilt within a safe range is dependent upon many factors, such as the size and weight of the speaker, the stability (e.g. footprint and weight) of tripod or speaker stand 39, the height of the center of gravity of the speaker, inter alia. Although the present invention has been described in regard to tilting loudspeakers, it should be understood that the present loudspeaker tilter can be used in conjunction with other systems or equipment e.g. televisions, computer monitor/screens, large (e.g. professional) video cameras and so on.

In some embodiments, indications, such as indices 48 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) are disposed along arcuate slots 30 to indicate tilting position or angles. It should be understood that the curvature of slots 30 can have a different radii than that shown in the figures whereby a larger or smaller movement (rotation) is required to produce a given change in tilt; while it should be understood that the arc of slots 30 can be a portion of a circle, an oval or even another shape. Furthermore, arcuate slots 30 can be convex downward, mutratis mutandis, rather than convex upward as shown in the figures in which case the distance between lower pivotable bolt screws 28 a and 28 b is less than the distance between upper pivotable bolt screws 28 c and 28 d.

It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above. 

1. A speaker tilting adapter comprising: a speaker supporting plate having a speaker receiving or attachment mechanism; a base plate, parallel to said speaker supporting plate; a connector mechanism for interconnecting between said speaker support plate and said base plate, said connector mechanism comprising a pair of connectors each comprising at least one connector plate; a position fixing mechanism for fixing the tilt position of the speaker adapter; and pivotable fasteners for pivotably attaching a lower portion of each connector plate to said base plate and for pivotably attaching an upper portion of each connector plate to said speaker supporting plate, wherein: (a) the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the lower portion of each connector plate to the base plate is different than the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the upper portion of each plate to the speaker supporting plate; and (b) the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the lower portion of each connector plate to the base plate is different than the distance between the pivotable fasteners attaching the upper portion of each plate to the speaker supporting plate.
 2. An adapter as in claim 1, wherein the position fixing mechanism comprises a tightenable and loosenable position fixing bolt disposed through arcuate slots curved in a likewise and corresponding configuration in the connector plates.
 3. An adapter as in claim 1, wherein the speaker receiving mechanism comprises a stem.
 4. An adapter as in claim 1, wherein said base plate comprises a speaker stand receiving mechanism.
 5. An adapter as in claim 4, wherein said speaker stand receiving mechanism is a speaker stand attachment stem.
 6. An adapter as in claim 1, wherein said speaker supporting plate comprises a skid resistant surface.
 7. An adapter as in claim 6, wherein the skid resistant surface, is or comprises a skid resistant foot. 